First Listen: Bob Dylan’s Tempest

Today, is September 11th and Bob Dylan’s 35th studio album has been released–50 years and 6 months after the release of his debut album, self titled, “Bob Dylan.” It’s difficult to think of another living artist who has made as wide of an impact as Dylan–and someone who is still churning out good work.

So, what are your thoughts? The last song nearly had me in tears..and I wasn’t thinking about Lennon. And am I right that “Long and Wasted Years,” sounded a bit like “Brownsville Girl?” (Knocked Out Loaded 1986)

Please share your thoughts in the comments…

9/17/12 Check out our new live post on Animal Collective’s new album, Centipede Hz.

If you are a Dylan fan, you’ll want to bookmark this article and check back–I’ll be updating the page with new information as it becomes available. Scroll down for updates. Below, you can hear five tracks from the upcoming album…I’d like to give a big shout-out to Expecting Rain, mega Dylan fan site, for linking to us!

UPDATE 9/1/12: Three new tracks, Narrow Way, Pay In Blood and Scarlet Town have been leaked–seemingly purposely by Columbia Records, or it may have been a glitch in their test run of an upcoming preview…

Does Scarlet Town remind anyone else of Man in the Long Black Coat? I’m hoping we get more songs like this. If you haven’t heard the “Oh Mercy” album, produced by Daniel Lanois, you should. I consider it the gateway into Dylan’s later work.

Hipster IQ: I have to thank my friend, Jody (leader of the Good Shepherd Band), for tipping me off to the notion that the “Early Roman Kings” may refer to a young hip-hop group from the South Bronx rather than ancient Rome.

If you don’t know any of Dylan’s post 1997 work, I recommend starting out by getting your hands on “Time Out of Mind” and “Love and Theft.” Here’s a sample of songs from 1997-2009 to prepare yourself for the release of “Tempest.”

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(July 17, 2012) Rolling Stone is reporting that, “the title track is a 14-minute epic about the sinking of the Titanic, which actually refers to a scene from James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic.”

(iroots.org) It will be interesting to see what inspiration Dylan will take from another classic song on the sinking of the Titanic, “God Moves on the Water.” A song written in 1929 by Blind Willie Johnson at a time when even the most terrible of events could be seen as a kind of mercy from God–driving people to despair of their own abilities and surrender to a terrifying/loving/Father God for mercy.

Year of nineteen hundred and twelve, April the fourteenth day
Great Titanic struck an iceberg, people had to run and pray

God moves, moves, God moves, ah, and the people had to run and pray

So many had to leave their happy home, all that they possess
Lord Jesus, will you hear us now, help us in our distress

God moves, moves, God moves, ah, and the people had to run and pray

Can you imagine a song being sung like this right after the 9/11 attacks? And, yet, isn’t that the closest analogy that our generation has to the sinking of the Titanic–and what it symbolized? Times have changed…

And, yes, the cover art looks like it was made with Microsoft Paint, but can Dylan really do any wrong?

The title track is a nearly 14-minute depiction of the Titanic disaster. Numerous folk and gospel songs gave accounts of the event, including the Carter Family’s “The Titanic,” which Dylan drew from. “I was just fooling with that one night,” he says. “I liked that melody – I liked it a lot. ‘Maybe I’m gonna appropriate this melody.’ But where would I go with it?”

Elements of Dylan’s vision of the Titanic are familiar – historical figures, the inescapable finality. But it’s not all grounded in fact: The ship’s decks are places of madness (“Brother rose up against brother. They fought and slaughtered each other”), and even Leonardo DiCaprio appears. (“Yeah, Leo,” says Dylan. “I don’t think the song would be the same without him. Or the movie.”) “People are going to say, ‘Well, it’s not very truthful,’ ” says Dylan.

But a songwriter doesn’t care about what’s truthful. What he cares about is what should’ve happened, what could’ve happened. That’s its own kind of truth. It’s like people who read Shakespeare plays, but they never see a Shakespeare play. I think they just use his name.

Neil McCormick, one of the chosen few to have heard the new album, writes for the Telegraph:

“I’m searching for phrases to sing your praises,” croons Bob Dylan on Soon After Midnight. It is fantastic to be able to report that popular music’s greatest troubadour is still as brilliant and bewildering as ever.

Words spill out on his 35th album, Tempest, to be released by Columbia next month: one liners, couplets, random observations, overheard expressions, inverted slogans and non sequiturs, verses and images often set up in baffling opposition to one another. What sounds at first like a gentle country love song contains the admission “My heart is fearful / It’s never cheerful / I’ve been down on the killing floor” and concludes with the threat to drag the corpse of somebody called Two Timing Tim “through the mud”.

8/20/12 UPDATE: Here’s a fascinating flashback. Critics discuss the release of “Time Out of Mind” in 1997. This album marks the reemergence of Bob Dylan’s career.

9/1/12 Last night, the BBC aired a short segment on “Tempest.” Great reviews this time.

Just saw the BBC Review Show feature on Bob Dylan’s new album Tempest!They raved about it!Masterpiece!I am so excited I need a walk!

8/21/12 Tim Heidecker (of Tim and Eric) has already posted a 15 min long (1 min longer than Dylan’s) spoof of the yet to be released title track from Tempest. Yes, seriously, you’ll be sorry you listened to it.

The unique thing about Dylan is his words. When others write it with him, like on Together Through Life, it simply doesn t hold up. I am told this album Tempest also has co writen stuff. That is a pitty.

Doesn’t “Desire” have lots of co-written material? I do agree that “Together Through Life” just didn’t strike me as compelling at all. This seems to be more on track as a work in Dylan’s core oeuvre–even if some of it is co-written. “Time Out of Mind”, is probably my favorite album of his, by the way. This is the first time that I’ve ever used the word, “oeuvre,” in a sentence!

Desire was also co written that holds up. This is a artist who has wrote hundreds of original songs, at 70+ years of age & after all he has written it is a miracle he is still making albums as strong as Time out of mind, Love & Theft & Tempest .. These days it is more about Dylan & his band , I love where he is at he’s still burning strong.

Hello again i was wondering if you could possibly send me a link or something where i could hear “pay in blood” i missed out on the youtube post its been taken down already, im the guy who sent you “duquense whistle” by the way, thanks

Any thoughts about connections to the work of Gillian Welch? Their newest album’s title track is called ‘Scarlet Town’. Their great album Time(the Revelator) has two songs referencing the Titanic, ‘April 14th, Part 1′ and ‘Ruination Day, Part 2′. Probably coincidences, but fun to think about.

onto my second listen….this is just awesome…reminds me of time out of mind/modern times in its scope..some jump up blues.some sweet swing time.some long rambling epic,s..and dark dirges..nothing prepared me for the heartbreaking monumental closing track ‘ROLL ON JOHN”…ITS JUST GOING TO RIP YOUR HEART OUT….

the entire album can be herd for free at the top of this page. It was Columbia music that let Itunes have the early leak , kinda ruined my 11/9/12 but I will still go buy it. It’s a good album I’m enjoying it ,I’m addicted to that voice -

Dylan get’s his inspiration from else where for most of the songs on Tempest . I like it when he put’s himself on the line like he did with blood on the tracks & Time outta mind, with Roll on John he puts himself back on the line .That’s incredible for a artist to do at his stage in life . – long live Bobby

I’ve listened to the full album twice, now, and have played other tracks many more times. I’m left shaking my head in wonder, and in praise. It’s nice to have Mr. Dylan check in on us from time to time. This time was as enjoyable as any. Will it stand the test of time? I don’t know. But, for now, it’s the only thing I want to hear. Peace.

I am in the camp of Dylan addicts. He hit me across the brains with his early folk – one to pluggin in – to days with the Band. I have seen Dylan live as much if not more than I saw the original Dead (and it’s many forms) now. Lyrically he is to be amazed over. I am so glad he never stopped singing. I have several favs on the new LP – Scarlet Town is way up there current at the top right now.

thanks so much for the chance for a first (and certainly not last) listen. a very big thumbs-up to your recommendations of both “time out of mind” and “love and theft”: there’s this riverboat-gambler side of bob that i really dig in the latter album, in particular. the man just never goes out of style, which is a helluva thing after 50 years (!!!) in the public eye…

I’m searching for phrases
To sing your praises
I need to tell someone
It’s soon after midnight
And my day has just begun
I’m searching for phrases I am searching for a brief, apt, and cogent expression like a campaign slogan To sing your praises sarcastic: to sing the praises of the Democrats I need to tell someone I need to inform America It’s soon after midnight and my day has just begun it is at a time of extreme darkness in America and my day – a period of opportunity or prominence: Every defendant is entitled to a day in court – has just begun.
A gal named Honey
Took my money
She was passing bye
It’s soon after midnight
And the moon is in my eye
A gal named Honey someone with sugary or ingratiating words like Obama Took my money took my tax money She was passing bye pass as to cease to exist; die. Often used with on: Bob passed on while he was performing on stage. It’s soon after midnight we are in a very dark period of American history And the moon and something unreasonable or unattainable: Obamacare was asking for the moon is in my eye is on my mind.
My heart is cheerful
It’s never fearful
I’ve been down on the killing floors
I’m in no great hurry
I’m not afraid of your fury
I’ve faced stronger walls than yours
My heart is cheerful my will is hearty; ungrudging; enthusiastic It’s never fearful it is confident it is going to win in the end I’ve been down on the killing floors I know that some day there will be enough votes in on the floors of House and Senate to kill – revoke Obamacare I’m in no great hurry I will wait until the right time comes I’m not afraid of your fury I am not afraid of reprisals I’ve faced stronger walls than yours I have been previously barred because I was mistakenly perceived as a Leftist.
Charlotte’s a harlot
Dresses in scarlet
Mary dresses in green
It’s soon after midnight
And I’ve got a date with the fairy queen
Charlotte’s a harlot the Democrats who held their convention this year in Charlotte, North Carolina, are corporate whores Dresses in scarlet but they pretend to be on the left, Scarlet as in Red Mary dresses in green and the pro-gay element in the Party – in the early 1960’s gays called one another “Mary” – is giving the green light to gay marriage It’s soon after midnight things are at their worst, their darkest And I’ve got a date with the fairy queen and the Democrats want queers to marry? “Fairy” and “Queen” are two derogatory terms for homosexuals.
They chirp and they chatter
What does it matter?
They lie and dine in their blood
Two timing slim
Who’s ever heard of him?
I’ll drag his corpse through the mud

They chirp and they chatter they tweet and they go into chat rooms What does it matter? What does it matter – the outcome is already known – Obama / Biden will get the nomination They lie and dine in their blood they lie about ending the war and thrive on blood of dead soldiers Two timing slim that cheating con man Bill Clinton Who’s ever heard of him? Sarcastic: Clinton is a former United States president I’ll drag his corpse through the mud (someone’s) name is mud Informal (someone) is disgraced “Clinton’s name is mud for having anal oral sex with Monica Lewinsky in the White House Oval Office.”
It’s now or never
More than ever
When i met you id didn’t think you do
Its soon after midnight
And I don’t want nobody but you
It’s now or never more than ever reworking of Nixon campaign slogan NOW MORE THAN EVER When I met you I didn’t think you would do I never liked the Democratic Party and was a Goldwater supporter as I wrote in Chronicles Its soon after midnight And I don’t want nobody but you it’s a critical time in American history and I support conservative Republicans, Tea Party people or possibly even Ron Paul?

As always, a great album of great songs. Though he sounds like he gargles with “Drano”, only his voice can deliver the songs in their purest form. It’d be impossible for anyone else to cover any of these songs without screwing them up. They’d only make a minor dent compared to what he does.

Thanks for letting us listen to Tempest. I do appreciate it.
Defnitely the album is not as good as the masterpieces “Time out of mind” and “modern times”. But is pretty good.
I am grateful for your comment on Long and Wasted Years,” I was just thinking the same. As for “roll on John”, well I am not sure it is that good, I like better “pay in blood”.
At any rate, incredible what this guy is doing, only van Morrison could measure up to him.

I’ve been listening to Dylan since I was 12 years old, when my father introduced me to him at the age of twelve. It’s early to say, but I think that this could be his finest album to have been released since then, which is saying something given this current late creative period that began with Time out of Mind. His 60s stuff could never be repeated, but who’d want that now anyway? Some artists are lucky to have one great creative period and Dylan’s now in his second (and it’s lasted 15 years) These days it’s to the more recent albums and Tell Tale Signs that I’ve been listening to most.

The latest stick that critics have used to batter Dylan with is that he’s a plagiarist, which is utter nonsense. Shakespeare, Burns, T.S Eliot: they were all writers who drew inspiration and used the words of other writers without leaving footnotes – writers are not academics, they don’t have to. The great Scots poet, Hugh MacDiarmid put it like this when accused of if for his poem ‘Perfect’: The Greater the Plagiarism, the Grater the Work of Art.’ Dylan proves that point perfectly in the closing verse of Roll on, John, quoting directly the words of William Blake, but adding his own to them, which in the context add such poignancy to the closing verse of this beautiful song, and indeed this album. Thanks for the link above – am going to buy it asap.

The thought that comes to me – over & over – is that, Life is Precious – and when there are mystic poets like this walking on the Earth, how can anyone possibly watch television? If we could read Whitman or listen to the sizzle of Dylan’s prophetic tongue burning down by the river in the middle of the night, why would we desecrate our souls with advertising or the miserable sitcoms? Listen to these songs here & then go write & write & write your own, and write some more – what a gift we are given in this man!